The proposal to build a huge artificial island in Danang has faced opposition over fears of its environmental impact.

Experts warn against encroachment projects on Danang Bay

The proposal was put up on the table during a conference about Danang urban master planning until 2030 with view to 2045. According to the city authorities, Danang needs more land for further development. A group of investors including Pavilion Group, Bamboo Capital Group, Danafood and others have proposed building an USD8bn artificial island off the coast of the city.

There will be residential areas, a casino, finance and shopping centre, Formula 1 circuit, duty-free retail outlets, and golf course on the island. It will be located a kilometre from the coast and cover 1,400 hectares, connecting to land by a bridge.

Danang city authorities are planning to submit the plan to the prime minister.

Tran Ngoc Chinh, Chairman of Vietnam Urban Planning and Development, said he was surprised upon hearing the news and that it needed to be reconsidered. Chinh once had the idea to build an aquarium on Danang Bay to enrich the nightlife of this area.

"But that was just a small project. Building a huge island like the ones surrounding Dubai is not possible because it will affect the water flow, the ecosystem and infrastructure of Hai Van Mountain and Son Tra Peninsula nearby. Routes to Danang Airport will also be affected. Danang Bay is one of the most beautiful bays in Vietnam and we shouldn't change it so drastically," he said.

Chairman of Da Nang Association of Historical Sciences Bui Van Tieng also opposed the project, saying that many projects have encroached Han and Co Co rivers in the past years. Last year it was reported that the Sunrise Bay project needed five million cubic metres of sand to fill part of Danang Bay. The investors bought sand which was dredged illegally at Cua Dai Beach and worsened the erosion there.

"The public was angry and some officials were jailed for it. We need to be careful with encroachment projects," he said.

When being asked about legal encroachment projects on the Gulf of Thailand and the Gulf of Tonkin, Tieng said the surface area of the Gulf of Thailand is 320,000 square kilometres and the surface of the Gulf of Tonkin is 126,250 square kilometres. The Persian Gulf also has a 251,000-square-metre surface area.

"The Danang Bay is too small and it's where Cu De and Han River empty into. Encroaching the bay will badly affect these two rivers and dredging activities may cause beach erosion," he said.

He also warned about environmental and supposed national security risks.